Jul

16th

seeing the everyday

I recently had the very special opportunity to share a pivotal childhood moment in one of my very favorite publications – Seeing the Everyday.

The editors (incredible gentlemen!) even flew across the country to meet our little family and spend some time in our home while Brad the photographer captured some glimpses of our time together as a family. These images accompany my story, which is now published in the Summer issue of Seeing the Everyday. This is my first published article since my days of regularly contributing for Creating Keepakses magazine (I resigned from my work of 12 years there so that I could start my own company in 2009).

What I love so much about the magazine is that both of our businesses share a common goal – to support the family, to encourage stronger family relationships, and to share ideas on how to value everyday interactions and experiences.

In the Summer issue, John Gochnour describes the values he learned growing up on a farm: that you reap what you sow, water, and weed; that there is no substitute for hard work; and that happiness is inextricably tied to a willingness to work for it. In addition to these invaluable lessons of work, John found great appreciation for time set aside for play. He describes that among all his boyhood activities, one that he enjoyed most was time playing baseball with Dad. Their time playing together reinforced the bonding that formed while working together.

Of all that we do to strengthen our relationships, helping one another through work and play may have the greatest capacity for generating experiences of oneness. As we work and play with the purpose of building one another and others, we will form natural bonds and develop selfless intuition that will bring us closer together and invite the finest in individual exertion and development.

Creating opportunities to work and play together at home does not come without its challenges. We can expect that children who are asked to help with yard work or the dishes may not always be delighted to give their best efforts to help out; however, these experiences can establish a pattern that invites a sense of personal fulfillment, capacity, oneness, and meaning. When play comes after work, the time spent playing together builds upon natural ties formed between parent and child through work. In play, children feel a sense of care, security, and loyalty from their parents, which leads to increased desire and ability to contribute to home and community.

I’m sharing this directly from an email Seeing The Everyday shared with their readers. This two-minute film shows the opportunities found through simple efforts of everyday work and play.

{ giveaway }

Seeing The Everyday is giving away their Summer issue to 3 of my readers AND a free year subscription to 1 of my readers! Please leave your first name + city + state/country and the randomly-selected winners will be announced Thursday at the bottom of this post. Open to anyone, anywhere in the world.

{ subscription discount }

All subscriptions ordered by July 22 will receive the Summer issue. Enter AUTHOR3829 at check out to receive a 25% off discount on a year subscription. Code valid through July 22. (They ship internationally.)

May I simply say what a comfort to find somebody that truly knows
what they are discussing over the internet.

You actually understand how to bring a problem to light
and make it important. More people should read this and understand this
side of your story. I was surprised that you are not more popular
because you most certainly have the gift.